They Think I Don't Know
by CreativeReading
Summary: Skye reflects on the search for her parents. Started off as a drabble, but it morphed into a story. Yes, it now includes Skyeward.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**- The standard disclaimer applies. I own nothing from Marvel or ABC.

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They think I don't know.

I've seen the looks. Heard the careful phrasing.

I've smiled and thanked them for their efforts in trying to help me.

They think I don't know.

I've seen them spring apart, guilty looks written all over their faces.

I've heard the tenseness in their voices when discussing redacted files.

They think I don't know.

I tell myself that it's okay. That they'll tell me in their time.

That they'll reveal all and it will end in a big family hug.

But what they don't know is that I'm running out of time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

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I've given them lots of chances to come clean. I didn't think they would keep to the company line for so long, look me straight in my face while lying to me. I'm not naive about S.H.I.E.L.D.; I've spent months investigating it. I found the mission report from 23 years ago featuring Agents May and Coulson, deep undercover for several months. After that, Agent May took "personal leave" for six months. Agents May and Coulson didn't have a single mission together for another 23 years until Agent Coulson assembled his "dream team".

The dates match up too perfectly. I look at her and I wonder what she would have been like as a real mother, not this scowling warden that barks orders. Would she have tucked me in at night? Would she have read me stories and kissed my hurts all better? Maybe she would have taught me to kick butt on the playground, devastating the bullies that used to encircle me and taunt me, throwing insults and punches at me.

I look at him and it's easy to imagine him as my father. I could see him cheering at soccer games and driving us to vacations up in the mountains at a cabin by a lake. Would he have taught me fishing? Would he have taught me how to drive a car? Lola would have been a sweet ride when I was 16.

Instead, I smile blandly at them both, killing myself, looking for clues. Did they pause a bit too long while looking at each other? Did their fingers brush by each other a fraction of a second longer than they should have?

I'm running out of time. Sooner or later, S.H.I.E.L.D. will bounce me from this plane. Sooner or later, a commanding officer will ask one too many questions about a team member who isn't officially a recruit. They'll wonder why someone with no formal training, someone with no official standing, someone wearing a restraining order on their wrist, is doing on this plane. And there will be no satisfactory answer.

I feel the clock ticking. I feel the pressure mounting. Soon, I'll be gone and I'll never know what might have been.

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**Author's Note**- I intended this as a one-shot drabble, but I got some very, very sweet reviews asking me to continue it, so I did. I hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**- Hi, all. I've had a few requests to extend this, but I couldn't see how I was going to write any more internal monologue, so it's segwayed into a narrative. Hope you enjoy it!

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"Good news," Agent Coulson said as he walked into the lounge, straightening his tie.

"Lay it on me, AC," I said, grinning.

"Can't you just call me Agent Coulson?" he said.

"I can't. It's physically impossible," I deadpanned. "So, what's the good word?"

He shook his head in frustration, but soon smiled, eager to update me. "I've gotten word back from HQ. They've granted my request to allow you to be considered an official S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit. With Agent Ward as your S.O., you'll go through a modified version of the academy of communications program on-board while working missions with us."

"Modified version of the academy? What does that mean?" I asked, hesitantly.

Coulson beamed. "Well, first off, you'll go through some on-line training dealing specifically with your skill set."

"They teach hacking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy?" I asked in disbelief.

"They perfected hacking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy. Where do you think that bracelet is from?"

I looked down at the ugly piece of jewelry and absentmindedly rubbed my wrist. "What else?"

"You'll continue your defensive training with Agent Ward. Although academy recruits in data communications are not usually required to be combat ready, since you've been on more than one operation with us in the field, it's a useful skill set to have."

I remembered disarming Quinn. If I hadn't had those lessons with Ward, I would've been toast.

"So, are you up for it? It's going to require a lot of time and effort. You've been in this nebulous gray area for months, but that couldn't last for long. Are you ready to commit to this?" Coulson asked, eyes fixed on me.

"Yes, yes, definitely."

"I'm going to need this to be your top priority," Coulson said firmly.

"Of course," I said reassuringly.

"I mean it, Skye. No more looking for your parents. No more hidden agendas. You have to be one hundred percent behind this. If you falter, I can't protect you any more," he said.

"What are you saying?" I asked, heart in my throat.

"I'm saying that I had to fight to get you this chance. One slip-up, one indication that you are wavering in your dedication to this and I can't protect you anymore."

"What will happen?" I asked, certain that I already knew the answer.

"You'll be gone."

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**Author's Note**- Hope you liked it. I'm still mulling over some ideas for how to proceed with the story. All action will take place before episode 10 and there will be slight modifications to canon (May and Coulson as Skye's parents, Ward and May as friends only, etc.).


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note**-I've gotten more than a few requests for a little Ward, so here it is.

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**Ch. 4**

The next day, I was sitting in the lounge, eyes closed, listening to Daft Punk, legs propped up on the table. All of a sudden, my legs were kicked off the table. "What the h . . ." I started to shout as I ripped out my earbuds. Ward was looking down at me, arms crossed.

"Come on, newbie. No more goofing off. It's time for weapons training," he said as he turned to leave.

"We've already trained on the night-night guns. I think I'm actually pretty good on those."

Ward smiled that smile of his. The one that doesn't reach his eyes. The one that make me feel like I'm three years old and he can't believe he's stuck baby-sitting me. "The night-night gun isn't a weapon. It's a device. There may come a time when all you have to protect yourself is an actual gun. That shoots actual bullets. At actual people. And you can't freeze up. And you can't hesitate. You have to be able to pull the trigger in a split second. It may be the only thing saving you or someone on your team. So, meet me in the SUV. We're leaving in five minutes."

"Leaving in five minutes?" I asked.

"I'm not doing live weapons training onboard an aircraft. Fury will kill us if this plane gets shot full of holes. I've booked time at a nearby gun range. Get going," he said as he turned to leave.

We didn't talk much on the ride to the range. Things seem to seesaw with Ward. He'd open up and I'd see a bit of crack in the tough exterior that he'd built up and then I'd turn around and the walls would all be up again and he'd act as the put-upon S.O. dealing with a lowly recruit.

Once we had arrived at the facility and he had checked us in, he led me to the range. "We're going to start on a Glock. It's one of the most popular handguns. It's lightweight and used throughout law enforcement, so if you happen to have to pick up a gun to use for defense, statistically it will be a Glock."

He went through the proper care and handling of the gun, how to make sure it was unloaded, etc. Then, he pointed me to the firing range. "Alright, what I want you to do is make sure that you focus your shots on either the torso or head. Try to keep your shots close together."

"Can't I just shoot an arm or a leg? You know, just wound them?" I asked.

Anger flared in his eyes and he clenched his teeth. "Skye, there is no such thing as shooting to wound someone. You point a gun at someone and fire it, you are trying to kill them. The best marksman in the world can't guarantee that they are only going to wound someone. What makes you think you can? I've seen people bleed out from a leg wound. Die before the ambulance could make it there. Don't kid yourself. You handle a weapon like this, you are trying to end a person's life."

He must have seen something in my face, because his expression softened. "Look, Skye, we're doing this so that you can protect yourself and those on your team. S.H.I.E.L.D. has some pretty big enemies. I . . . we don't want you to get hurt." With that, he looked down for a second. When he looked up, he smiled. "Okay, so let's get started."

As I pointed the gun at the target, he said, "Wait a minute." He came up behind me and placed his hands over mine, steadying them. "Try to focus. Concentrate on where you want to hit," he said in my ear.

I would have had an easier time focusing without his hot breath on my neck. I was acutely aware of him. I fired, but it went wide, not even hitting the target. He took his hands off of mine and stepped back. "Try again," he said. This time, I hit the target. In the leg.

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing with different caliber guns. Some were definitely easier than others. By the end of our session, I was able to hit the target successfully, more often than not, although my shots were definitely not neatly grouped together like Ward's.

At the end, Ward gave me an encouraging smile. "Look, you did good. You're in data communications, not operations. No one expects you to turn into Black Widow overnight. You've shown a lot of progress just in this one session. I'll make sure to book time at gun ranges whenever we can to help improve your skills. It's going to be a bit rough, I know, this ad hoc type of academy training, but I know you'll do well."

"I have to," I said tightly, remembering Coulson's warning. He wouldn't be able to protect me if I washed out of this training.

"We'd better head back," he said and I nodded and followed him out.

0000

Once back aboard, I went towards my miniroom, ready to dive into the on-line portion of my training. May came suddenly around a corner, surprising me.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," I said after I gave a start.

"But I saw you. I saw the way you looked at Agent Ward when you got back from weapons training. Skye, do you know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s policy on fraternization?"

"Uh, no," I said, not liking where this was going.

"If two people on the same mission become romantically involved, one person has to be reassigned. Immediately," she said, matter-of-factly.

"So, if Ward and I got involved, one of us would have to leave?" I asked, my voice rising.

"That's not the worst of it," she said.

"What is?" I asked.

"Since Ward is acting as your S.O., he has command authority over you. Any relationship between you two would result in his immediate firing and the loss of his pension. His career would be over," she said acidly.

"I . . . understand," I said, finding it hard to look at her.

"I hope that you do, Skye. I really hope that you do."

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**Author's Note**- Hope you liked it! I usually don't update this quickly, but your reviews have been beyond encouraging.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

I headed to my room, breathing hard, my heart racing. I tried to shake off what May said, but I couldn't. Whatever my feelings were, Ward hadn't given me any real indication that he had any romantic feelings towards me, the "beautiful" comment under the truth serum notwithstanding.

On the other hand, being flat out told that there was absolutely no possible future between me and Ward threw me for a loop. I had been on this plane for months and ever since the whole debacle with Miles, I have to admit that Ward had been the closest thing to a crush. Leo and Jemma were a matched pair, so my options were limited, but there could be a million guys around and Ward would still stand out. He was beyond handsome, walking around like an airbrushed billboard for men's cologne. He was so very brave and protective that I always felt safe around him.

Ever since he'd lashed out at us after the berserker incident, I'd felt skittish around him, scared that I'd do or say something that would set him off. He'd calmed down considerably since then, but I'd seen him swallow his anger more than once, bite his tongue almost to bleeding so as not to snap at us again. He didn't want to be that man, the one that used his anger to wound others.

I opened my laptop, fully intending to get started on my on-line academy work, but before I knew it, I had delved into the password-protected S.H.I.E.L.D. database, searching for the exact regulations regarding fraternization. I swallowed the lump in my throat when I found the rules spelled out just as May had said. I took a deep breath. There had to be an exception. There was always an exception.

Then I found this little gem: _As per code 21.489.32, two married operatives may be assigned to the same mission given the consent of the acting commanding officer._

Great. Easy peasy. Ward and I just needed to get married and have Coulson sign off on it. How hard could that be?

There could be no courtship, no prolonged engagement. Just immediate marriage to circumvent the S.H.I.E.L.D. regulations.

Well, I could have an elaborate costume party and have a priest marry us in front of a bunch of guests. I remembered that ship captains could marry people over international waters. Maybe Agent May could officiate the wedding for us while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Another option was Vegas. I had watched enough movies and T.V. shows to know that all you had to do is get within fifty miles of Vegas and somehow you ended up married.

I dissolved into a fit of giggles as one outlandish scenario after another floated through my brain. I clearly had watched too many sitcoms growing up. I knew I was wasting time that I should be devoting to my on-line studies. Getting kicked off the plane for washing out of the academy program would make all of my Ward problems moot.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6**

The next three weeks went by in a predictable fashion. I dutifully worked on my on-line classes. Some of the material I already knew, some of the material was mind-numbingly easy and some of it was so incredibly difficult that I was worried that I was going to need glasses from all of the hours spent trying to decipher it. My academy instructors were fairly helpful via e-mail, though, and before long I had finished the first semester's coursework in less than a month.

One night, I was sitting cross-legged on my bed, trying to complete one last assignment before falling asleep, when I heard a knock on my half-open door.

"Come in," I said, expecting it to be Jemma. She'd stop by from time to time to give me a pep talk. It was nice being around someone who had so recently graduated from the academy, even if it was in a different field.

"Hi," Coulson said as he entered my room. My mind scrambled automatically to try and figure out why he was there. Had I done something wrong once again? Hacked into the wrong website? Became Facebook friends with the wrong person? I was amazed at how many of my old Rising Tide acquaintances were on the FBI watch list.

"Hi, AC," I said with a smile, masking my distress. "Come right in."

"It's Agent Coulson," he sighed. "I just wanted to let you know that several of your instructors have contacted me."

"They have?" I asked, my throat tightening. Maybe I'd been a bit too snarky or pushy when I emailed them. It's so very hard to strike the right tone with people you've never met face to face.

"They've all been uniformly impressed. You're plowing through the coursework like no one they've ever seen. They had a proposal."

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, given that you have completed the more basic coursework so quickly, they've decided to engineer a more streamlined program for you."

"What does that mean? Specifically," I said.

"You will focus only on the most advanced subjects and test out of the areas you already know. At your current rate, you should be done in about two or three more months," Coulson said, as he leaned against my door jam, arms crossed in front of him.

"Wow; that'd be great," I said, happy to finally have an end in sight.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo," Coulson said, with a wink and turned to go.

He was proud of me. He had no idea what those words meant to me. Is that what it felt like, when your dad says he's proud of you? When he looks at the hard work that you've done and he approves?

"Coulson?"

"Yeah," he said, turning back.

"Thanks, for everything. Thanks for believing in me. Thanks for going to bat for me. Thanks for putting your neck out for me. It . . . it means a lot to me." Whether or not Coulson was really my dad, I couldn't imagine having a better father.

"You're welcome, Skye. But, you should know, I did it, all of it, because you're worth it. You're worth believing in." He stood there for a moment, looking like he might say something more, but then he just turned to walk away. "Don't stay up too late," he called out over his shoulder.

"I won't," I called out to him as he walked away.

" . . . . Dad," I whispered ever so softly to myself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7**

The next morning, around five forty, I was awoken by a knock at the door. "Come in," I said blearily. I must have had less than five hours of sleep.

"Up and at 'em. We're training today. Defensive techniques."

"I thought Ward was in charge of my operative training. He's my S.O.," I said, my voice whining more than a little.

"Generally, yes. But, you need to learn different techniques," May said.

"I don't understand," I asked.

"You'll be able to use a lot of what Ward can teach you about hand to hand combat. But there's a flaw in his training method," she said.

"A flaw? He's doing a great job," I said, maybe a bit too defensively. I didn't want May or Coulson to disparage Ward just because I was a lousy recruit.

"He outweighs you by what, at least sixty pounds of muscle? He's also a good eight inches taller. You need to know how to defend yourself without relying on strength and height."

"How am I going to do that?"

"I'll show you," and she actually smiled for a moment, but then it faded ever so quickly. "Okay, get dressed, get some food in you and meet me in the hanger in twenty minutes."

"Okay," I said, mentally preparing myself for a hard morning.

00000

Two hours later, I was shaking, drenched in sweat.

May took a deep breath. "Okay, go towel off. We'll pick up again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I asked. Ward and I barely trained together once a week, given his hectic schedule.

"Yes, tomorrow, same time, six a.m.," May said.

"Haven't I learned enough for like at least a week or so?" I asked, dreading a repeat of this morning. When I fantasized about bonding with my would-be mother, it was over pedicures and cappuccinos, not having her pound me into the floor.

May rolled her eyes. "Come at me," she ordered, standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed.

"What?"

"Come at me. Try to take me to the mat. If you can knock me down, you can have the week off."

Determined for a break, I roared at her at full speed. She easily sidestepped me, tripping me and causing me to land on my face.

"Now, get up," she said harshly.

I lied there for a moment, feeling stupid and foolish. What was I thinking, trying to take down Melinda May, the Calvary? She walked over to me and bent down on her haunches to look me in my face. "We all make mistakes, Skye. Every single one of us. What matters most is what we do afterwards," she said gently.

I wanted to ask her if she regretted any of the mistakes she made, what she would have done differently. But the moment passed and she stood up and grabbed a few towels. She threw one at me and it landed on my face. I took it and bounced up, although most of my muscles screamed in protest.

"Ward, Coulson and I . . . . We're all doing the best we can to protect you and to teach you to protect yourself. It's for your own good," May said as I began to dry my face. "See you tomorrow morning," she said as she left.

It wasn't a latte and a manicure, but I guess combat training was going to have to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**- This chapter is based on a modified suggestion from Belle97

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**Ch. 8**

A few days later, Ward took me out to the gun range once again. I noticed that he routinely took me to gun ranges that were far away from the airfield where the Bus would be stored. Once, I checked Google Maps and found at least five gun ranges closer than the one he had picked.

I loved those car rides together. Every time we drove together, Ward would share a little more about his life, tell me just one more funny story or just ask me how things were going. He was so different one on one. It's silly, but it almost felt like I was watching a flower that would only bloom in my presence. Around the others on our team, he was so business-like, so closed-off, so focused on the job at hand. But, during those car rides together, I felt like I was getting a glimpse of the real Ward, of the man behind the facade.

"May told me, about teaching you. I think it's a great idea. You can learn a lot from her," he said.

"I'm learning a lot from you," I said.

"True, but May's a legend. You're lucky to have her as an instructor," he said as he pulled into a parking spot at the gun range.

"I don't always feel so lucky," I said, absentmindedly rubbing the knee I had twisted during that morning's training.

"Most recruits would do anything to train with Agent May. It's a privilege," Ward said as he opened the door to the building for me.

I sighed a bit. It's a privilege I would enjoy a lot better at eight in the morning instead of six.

00000

After our time at the gun range had ended, we emerged from the building and I noticed an arcade across the street.

"Come on Ward, let's go. It'll be fun," I said, tugging on his arm.

"We can't," he said and started towards the SUV.

I ran after him and grabbed his arm again, pulling him playfully towards the arcade. "Come on, we never have any fun. Let's play hooky for just a little bit."

"Skye, I said no," Ward ground out through gritted teeth, his expression hardening. He yanked his arm away from me.

"Why not?" I asked, my tone more pleading than I meant it to be.

"Skye, don't you get it? Every moment we're together is scrutinized. Every action we take is monitored. Do you have any idea the risk I'm running just by choosing a gun range that's farther away so that we can be in the car together longer? Any deviation, any excuse, any attempt at subterfuge and you wash out of the program. They'll send you away. It's not that I don't want to play hooky. It's that I don't have any choice in the matter," he said, exasperated.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked down at me, "Look, sometimes we want something, Skye. We want it so much we can almost taste it. But we can't have it. It's just out of our reach."

He sighed, "We'd better get going. We're already running late."

We rode back to the Bus in silence.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ch. 9**

A few more months of weapons training, combat training and on-line classes and the big day came, graduation day. Well, graduation night. Coulson received the email confirming that I had met all of the requirements of the on-line program and that I could now be considered a level one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Jemma and Leo went out and got us Italian food, my favorite. We ate; we drank; we told funny stories. It felt like home. It felt like family. Coulson even had my bracelet removed and I felt like I finally completed my probation. I was one of them.

Later that night, I was getting ready for bed, when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said.

Agent May walked in the room, closing the door behind her. "I'm very proud of you, Skye."

"Thanks, Agent May. That means a lot to me."

"I . . . I didn't know. Not when you first came on board. I actually fought Coulson on it. Thought you weren't trustworthy."

"You didn't know what?" I asked.

"I've had my suspicions for a while. The dates, your age . . . . but I didn't know."

I couldn't speak. It felt as though if I moved the wrong way or said the wrong thing, she would clam up again.

She took a deep breath and went on, "I had Simmons run a DNA test. It came back a match."

"You're my mother. And Coulson?" I asked, sinking to the bed. My legs would no longer support me.

"You're right. He's your father."

"How? What?"

"Let me tell you the whole story," she said, sitting next to me on the bed.

"I was younger than you are now. I had only been out of the academy for maybe two years. It was my first long-term mission. Phil was my S.O. He and I got close," she looked down and smiled briefly and when she looked up, her eyes were shiny with unwept tears, "too close. There are anti-fraternization rules for a reason. When I found out I was pregnant, I went into a tailspin. I kept going back and forth. I didn't know what to do. If I kept you, that was it. Things were different back then. No more field work, no more being an agent, no more S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I had a friend," she shook her head angrily at that. "At least, I thought she was a friend. She was going to help me out. Set up a private, closed adoption with a nice couple. I didn't know about the orphanage. I signed the paperwork the day you were born and I never saw you again."

"For years, whenever I saw a little dark-haired girl, I'd think, she's four now. I wonder what she's doing. Or she's twelve. Or sixteen. I never stopped thinking about you. Wondering about you," she said, her hands trembling slightly.

"And Coulson?" I asked, my breath ragged.

"I never told him. I never told him because I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if I did, we'd both live that other life. The normal civilian life. We'd get married. Buy a two story house in the suburbs. He'd be an insurance adjustor. I'd bake cookies for the PTA. Phil wanted to be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. so badly. I didn't want to force him to give up on his career, on his dream."

"Would that . . . .," I could hardly breathe, "Would that . . . have been such a horrible life?" I asked, tears sliding down my face.

"At the time I thought it was. And every time I shut down a weapons facility or saved someone's life, I felt like I had made the right choice. But . . . I look at you . . . ," she gulped. "I look at you and . . .,"she broke down then, openly crying. "I am so sorry, Skye. I am so very sorry."

What do you do in that moment? What do you do in that moment when you get the answers you so desperately want? When the last piece of the puzzle is granted to you?

"It's okay; I forgive you," I said as I hugged her. She clung to me, weeping as sobs wracked her body. "It's okay; we're together now."

We sat there, holding each other for a few minutes. I was the one to break the silence.

"We have to tell Coulson," I said.

"Skye, I can't . . .," she began.

"No. No more lies, no more secrecy. Right now, we are going into that office," I said firmly. This was going to end tonight.

She nodded and we walked the few feet into Coulson's office, opening the door without knocking.

Coulson looked up, a puzzled look on his face as he saw us both, mascara streaked down our faces.

"Coulson, there's something I need to tell you," May began shakily.

"Okay," he said warily.

"Twenty-three years ago, you and I had a mission together. . ." she started.

He looked at us both and comprehension dawned on his face. His face turned ashen. "No, you didn't . . . May, tell me you didn't do that to me . . . to us . . . tell me you didn't . . ."

"Phil . . . ." she began.

"Skye," he said, "would you mind giving us a moment . . . please?"

"I'd really like to stay," I said.

"Please," he repeated sharply, his voice breaking as he sat down heavily in his chair, looking like his world was crumbling.

"Okay," I said and I turned to go.

000000

A few minutes later, Ward saw me in the lounge, shaking and crying on the couch. "Hey, what's up? What happened?" he asked as he sat down next to me.

"Coulson and May are my parents," I said between sobs.

"Are you sure?" Ward asked.

I nodded and began weeping once again. I should have been happy, but I was just so overwhelmed. Ward hugged me, quite literally giving me a shoulder to cry on. I don't know how long he held me, stroking my hair, murmuring words of encouragement in my ear. When my sobs finally subsided, Ward said, "You're going to be okay. You're strong. You are so very, very strong. You're going to be okay." Then, he kissed my forehead and stood up abruptly. "I'll . . . I'll see you in the morning."

I sat there for a moment after he left, feeling adrift, not knowing what the next step was. I had finally gotten all that I wanted. Now what?

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**Author's Note**- Don't worry. I won't end it here. I wouldn't do that to you, my dear readers. We still have a few more chapters to go.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10**

I woke up that next morning with that hollow, wrung-out feeling that always follows a night of crying. I really didn't know how I was going to face everyone after last night. I grabbed my towel to go take a shower. When I opened the door to my room, Coulson was there, looking like he had been waiting for a while.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I nodded and went to sit on my bed. I didn't think my legs could support me.

He took a deep breath. "I spent most of last night talking with Melinda. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I was selfish. I wanted to have it all. My career. Melinda. I didn't want to choose. I was her S.O. I knew if it got out, that would be it. So, I was the one who pushed to keep it quiet, to keep it a secret. I wanted to have my cake and eat it, too."

He looked down, studying his hands. "You know, all real love is based on sacrifice. The parent that gets up at three in the morning to comfort a crying child, moving across the country for your spouse's career, taking care of an aging grandparent . . . those are all real, tangible manifestations of love. And I wasn't willing to do that for Melinda. I wasn't willing to give up S.H.I.E.L.D. for her. I didn't show her that she was worth doing the right thing. I should have just left with her. Walked away from S.H.I.E.L.D. We could have gotten married. We could have raised you." At that his voice broke and he looked up at me, his lip trembling.

"I'm not blind, you know. I know you're frustrated with Ward, but he's a better man than me. He's showing how much he values you by not taking the easy way out, not taking the selfish route. Be patient with him. He's worth it and you're worth it. It's not that he doesn't care about you. He cares enough for you to not hide in the shadows with you."

Coulson took a deep breath and tugged on his suit jacket. "Speaking of Ward, now that you are a full-fledged level one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, we have a mission for the both of you. I put in the orders last night, before all the chaos, so if you'd like, I can change them."

"No, I'd like to . . . I'd like to get started on my first official assignment."

"That's my girl," he said with a small smile.

"About that, do I call you Dad now?"

"Anything's better than AC," he said dryly.

"So, Dad . . . can I take Lola out for a spin?" I said, slyly with a grin on my face.

"I knew this would come up. Yes, but first you need a pilot's license," he said, straight faced.

"A pilot's license? How I am going to get a pilot's license?" I asked.

"Have your mother teach you," he said with a cocked eyebrow before he turned and left my room.

00000

After getting dressed and ready for the day, I peeked my head into the lab and gave Leo and Jemma the news about May and Coulson. I was so done with secrets.

They were both surprised, but supportive.

"Does that mean that you get to drive Lola?" Leo asked, his eyes wide.

"Not quite yet," I said with a smirk.

"Still, it must be nice, knowing the answer to who your parents are," Jemma said with that kind smile of hers.

"I don't know if I'd use the word nice, but I am glad that everything's finally out in the open," I said.

"And you're going on your first official mission, with Ward," Jemma said, waggling her eyebrows for exaggerated effect.

"We've been on tons of missions before," I said. "This will be just the same."

"Of course, of course," Leo said, sarcastically.

"Uggh. You guys," I said, shaking my head as I left the lab.

00000

We had run this type of mission before. Ward would wear his specialized glasses that allowed me to see what he saw and I would guide him through the compound he was trying to infiltrate. I would be sitting in the far part of the parking lot, using my laptop as I sat in the passenger seat, window rolled down to let in a breeze.

The mission began flawlessly. Ward entered the building, found the main control room, evaded all of the guards and downloaded the information we needed about Centipede and their contacts onto a thumbdrive.

Ward was making his way back to the car when I heard the unmistakable click of a gun cocking and felt cool metal against my right temple.

"Get your hands off that keyboard and put them in the air," a gunman in black fatigues growled.

I put my hands in the air and looked up. I saw five more Centipede supersoldiers aiming at me through the windshield.

Well, crap.


	11. Chapter 11

**Ch. 11**

I saw Ward come up behind the supersoldiers and I let out a sigh of relief. However, another ten of them poured out of the building after Ward, guns drawn, yelling at him to put down his weapons. It was sixteen of them and two of us. Still, I'd seen worse odds. I was about to make a grab for the gun at my head. It was a risky move that both Ward and May had taught me, one I still hadn't mastered at that angle and at such close range. Ward saw me tensing and slowly shook his head as he lowered his weapons, dropped them to the floor and raised his hands.

00000

They took us to a different facility, hours away from the compound Ward had infiltrated. Once we got there, they put us in the same room, but kept us in two different cells that were located a few feet apart. Ward paced his cell like a hungry jaguar, occasionally stopping to test the strength of one of the bars or to try to pull on the door.

"We should have tried. Against those soldiers. We might have been able to make it," I said bitterly, sitting on the cold concrete, feeling miserable.

"He had a gun. To your head. Whatever you think about me, I'm not superhuman. Against a couple of them, maybe, but sixteen? No way. Part of tactical training is running the odds, Skye. There was only one way out of that scenario where you stayed alive," he maintained.

"But . . . " I started to argue.

"Skye," he interrupted me, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't risk losing you. At least now, we have a chance."

"A chance?"

"Believe in our team. They believe in us. They'll find us," he promised.

00000

After a few hours, a woman in a yellow flowered dress waltzed in, beaming when she saw us.

"Hello, my name is Raina. Oh, this is wonderful. It's like Christmas. A S.H.I.E.L.D. operative and a hacker," she gloated.

She made her way to Ward's cell, her eyes trailing over him as she licked her lips. "Agent Grant Ward. I can't wait to see what happens when you cross our serum with your level of S.H.I.E.L.D. training. What a lovely treat!"

"I'm not going to do your dirty work," he informed her coldly.

"Somehow, I doubt that. I feel like I might have some way to compel you to be compliant," she smirked and turned to me.

"And, Skye, well, your file is even bigger than his. What fun we're going to have with you!" she said, clapping her hands together. "You already know how to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database. What other kind of mischief can you do?"

"I'm not going to be your puppet," I declared with a confidence I didn't feel.

"You know, once we've implanted a bomb in someone's brain, it's amazing how helpful they become," Raina said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "It's late, so we'll get started in the morning. I swear, this is going to be so much fun."

She left then, her dress swishing as she sauntered away.

"She's insane. Like she has literally lost it. I know it's supposed to come off as all creepy and mysterious, but she's a few bricks short of full load," I said, once she'd gone.

"You're right," Ward agreed. "Well, we've got the night. Let's figure out a way out of here."

"I thought we were going to wait for our team?" I wondered.

"I'd rather get out of here before you have your upcoming surgery, wouldn't you?"

I blanched at the thought. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

It was going to be a long night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ch. 12**

We spent hours going over different scenarios, rejecting one after another. Our cells consisted of a concrete floor and a plastic bucket. No toilet, no bunk. There wasn't a lot to work with. I came up with a feasible plan, not a good one, mind you, but a feasible one. However, Ward rejected it initially.

It must have been past three in the morning when Ward finally agreed to my plan. "I don't like it. It's too risky."

"Do you have a better idea? If so, I would absolutely love to hear it," I replied, exhaustion sinking into my bones.

Ward sat there, hunched over on the concrete floor, eyes downcast. "No, I don't," he admitted.

"Well, then, it seems as though we have a plan," I declared, although I was hardly enthusiastic about it.

Ward stood up again and began pacing,"You know, it never would have worked. You and I. Coulson told me."

"Told you what?" I asked.

"Told me that you looked up S.H.I.E.L.D.'s regulations on fraternization. He wanted to warn me. Make sure nothing happened. S.H.I.E.L.D. is so unbelievably strict about it. You have no idea. Even a hint of something going on and they reassign you."

"And you thought that was about you? I was thinking of Leo," I lied.

"What? Leo? How could you ever . . .," he began angrily, gripping the bars.

"See, I knew you liked me," I whispered, reveling in the confirmation.

"Liked you, Skye? Liked you? I stopped liking you after the first week on the Bus together," Ward said, looking down and shaking his head.

"Oh, really?" I asked, my eyes filling with tears.

Ward looked up slowly and deliberately to face me, his eyes boring through me from a few feet away. "I love you, Skye. I've loved you for months. It's been torture being so close to you day in and day out and not being able to even hold your hand. When I think of all those months wasted . . . months we could have been together. . . I just wish . . . We're going to get out of this. I promise you," he vowed.

"I love you, too. I've loved you for so very, very long. I know we'll get out of this. I believe you," I said. And I did. Ward always kept his promises.


End file.
